Tennessee Tree Farm Program

TENNESSEE TREE FARM PROGRAM

What is the history and health of your forest? How should you manage it? What are your goals? Should trees be cut, thinned or harvested? Are there other products of value in your woods? Can your trees be made more healthy or valuable? Are you looking to go back to a "wilderness"? Should you construct trails for yourself or others to enjoy your woods? How do you do that? How much wildlife do you have? Could that be improved? What about ponds and streams? Where are good sources of information on forestry for the layman? Can your goals and improvements be carried forward through future generations of your family? Who can you talk to, to get educated/started? What is good stewardship? Why is it important? What does ethics have to do with the woods, and why do I have responsibilities?

The Tennessee Tree Farm program can help you with all these aspects of forest ownership. And most importantly, it will help you become a good steward of the forest and understand the environmental consequences of your actions.

A new series of extension bulletins focused on native grass forage production is being produced here at UT's Center for Native Grassland Management. The first four are now available (see below). Five others are planned with the first of those, Economic Implications of Growing Native Warm-Season Grasses for Forage in the Mid-South (SP731-E), becoming available in the next two months.

Periodically, the American Tree Farm System® Standards of Sustainability undergo review through an open, transparent process to ensure appropriate incorporation of public input, emerging developments in the forest management arena and to promote continuous improvement of the ATFS program and stewardship on America's family woodlands. In 2014, ATFS revised the Standards of Sustainability.

Designed for the size, scale and management intensity of family owned and small woodlands in the United States, the ATFS Standards of Sustainability are the basis for enrollment in the American Tree Farm System® (ATFS) program. In 2014, the 2010-2015 Standards underwent review for the 2015-2020 Standards. An open, transparent process ensured appropriate incorporation of public input, emerging developments in the forest management arena and promoted continuous improvement of the ATFS program...